Clarence United are swept aside by South Hobart but respond with a pinprick

Photo:  Clarence United's Jackson Ebini (right) tries to cut out Iskander Van Doorne's cross [PlessPix]

(NPL Tasmania, Wentworth Park, Saturday, 15 June 2019)

Clarence United 1 (G Mangar 87)

South Hobart 6 (B Lakoseljac 6, 56, B Hamlett 20, C Kannegiesser 62 og, N Morton 70, S Juju 90)

HT:  0-2   Att:  60   Ref:  J McInerney

Clarence United:  Dyson  -  Lange, Kannegiesser, Price, Ebini  -  Hatcher, Burt, Cannamela, Randall  -  Moynihan, Gangar  (Subs:  Amani, Downham, Houston, Smith, Thapa)

South Hobart:  K Brown  -  Gorrie, Thomas, Bowman, Herweynen  -  Lakoseljac, Feral, Morton  -  Van Doorne, Hamlett, Berezansky  (Subs:  Hallam, Juju, Larby, Ludford, Wright)

Photo:  South Hobart's Nick Morton stretches around Clarence United's Sam Randall to get the ball [PlessPix]

The lights at Wentworth Park are far superior to those at KGV Park, so there are some benefits to night games there.  There was no wind, which made the frigid conditions bearable.  The sound of the waves pounding on the beach in the background was clearly audible in the calm atmosphere, while the players’ banter echoed noisily through the night air.

With the Glenorchy Knights versus Devonport City game kicking off at 3.15pm and this one at Wentworth Park at 4.30pm, I could only catch the second half of this match.

There was a huge prang involving several cars on the Tasman Bridge as I headed to Bellerive, but it was in the Hobart-bound lane, so my journey wasn’t hindered.

When I arrived at Wentworth Park, the second-half was just about to start.  I glanced at the scoreboard and it was only 2-0 to South Hobart.  Some people at the KGV Park game had said they wouldn’t bother going to Wentworth Park because they wouldn’t get there until half-time and the score would probably be in double figures by then.  I was relieved that it wasn’t because Clarence were still in the hunt.

Photo:  South Hobart's Bradley Lakoseljac brings down a cross [PlessPix]

Bradley Lakoseljac had given South Hobart a 10^th minute lead, while Ben Hamlett had added the second in the 20^th minute.

Lakoseljac made it 3-0 in the 56^th minute as the visitors completely dominated the proceedings.  South goalkeeper Kieran Brown had had virtually nothing to do.

South’s pressure told in the 62^nd minute when Clarence defender Chris Kannegiesser turned the ball into his own net to give the visitors a 4-0 lead.

In a rare moment, Clarence managed a long-range shot at goal but it sailed high.

South responded with a goal from Nick Morton to make it 5-0.  I then saw something I’d rarely if ever seen before in a South Hobart game.  Coach Ken Morton substituted his son, Nick.  I was standing with Mrs Vicki Morton and she, too, seemed stunned.

Photo:  Nick Morton (left), who scored an excellent goal, is tackled by Jeremy Price [PlessPix]

Three minutes from the end, South showed yet again their vulnerability at set-pieces.  Clarence took a corner from the left and Ganga Mangar found the net, which was only the fourth goal Clarence have scored in the league this season.

The home-side’s muted euphoria was dampened when South substitute Samson Juju drilled a shot home in the final minute to make it 6-1 for the visitors and put third-placed South 8 points adrift of leaders Devonport City and 3 points behind second-placed Olympia Warriors.

The prang had been cleared by the time I crossed the Tasmania Bridge on my way home and I had a clear run.  It was a beautiful evening.  In the absence of any wind, the River Derwent was like a mirror and the bridge lights were reflected in the water while a large Moon glowed in the sky.  Wentworth Park can be an exhilarating place on nights such as these, even if the football sometimes lacks excitement.

Photo:  Nick Morton gets past Jeremy Price [PlessPix]